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Newcastle United official media partner say West Ham ready to move for Rafa Benitez (again)

7 years ago
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West Ham are ‘poised’ to move for Rafa Benitez according to reports this morning.

The Hammers have won only one game since January and Slaven Bilic is once again under pressure.

It is Newcastle United’s official media partner The Mirror which has made the claim…

This is of course the NUFC official media partner who in only the past three months has ran stories saying:

December 2016: Rafa Benitez is set to join West Ham.

Mid-February 2017: Rafa Benitez is in line to replace Arsene Wenger.

Late-February 2017: Rafa Benitez is set to go to China at the end of the season because two Chinese Super League clubs have prepared offers to make him the best paid manager in the World.

Amusingly, in this latest lame piece, The Mirror say ‘as we reported at the time, (Rafa Benitez) was also linked with Bilic’s job in the run-up to Christmas’.

What they don’t mention is that it was them (The Mirror) who also came up with that story/link from nowhere.

As most Newcastle fans accept, there is no need to be afraid of imaginary (or real) interest from West Ham, the only thing we fear where Rafa Benitez is concerned is Mike Ashley – and whether he will revert back to type and fail to back the Manager & not allow him to operate as he sees fit, once this season is out of the way.

The Mirror 28 March 2017:

‘West Ham are poised to move for Rafa Benitez if Slaven Bilic is unable to halt the club’s slide.

The Londoners, who go to relegation candidates Hull on Saturday, have lost their last three Premier League games and are without a win in five matches.

Former Liverpool and Chelsea boss Benitez is on course for promotion from the Championship at the first time of asking with Newcastle, but his future at St James’ Park remains uncertain.

The Spaniard’s frustration at the lack of signings in January has left lingering concerns he could quit this summer if he feels the club lacks ambition.

Benitez remains well thought of at a club where, two years ago, there was a deal in place for him to succeed Sam Allardyce – only for the Irons to be gazumped by Real Madrid.

Speaking in December 2015, Hammers joint-chairman David Sullivan said: “We were two hours from getting Benitez and then Real came in. We had agreed a contract and everything.

“He is a top manager, whatever anybody says, and I think he’d have done a wonderful job for us.”

The 56-year-old, as we reported at the time, was also linked with Bilic’s job in the run-up to Christmas.

West Ham want Bilic to deliver a minimum of two wins from their next four matches, three of which are against teams in the bottom four – Hull, Swansea and Sunderland.’

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